diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ab68b2ade..c21fc9147 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -58,3 +58,4 @@ TODO
 # fill-column: 72
 # mode: conf
 # End:
+/UTILITIES/x11idle
diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 95387ea58..77cca37e4 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2009-10-21  James TD Smith  <ahktenzero@mohorovi.cc>
+
+	* UTILITIES/x11idle.c: Add a small C program which outputs the X11
+	idle time
+
 2009-09-16  Carsten Dominik  <carsten.dominik@gmail.com>
 
 	* Makefile: Add dependencies for org-crypt.el.
@@ -65,4 +70,3 @@
 2008-04-25  Carsten Dominik  <dominik@science.uva.nl>
 
 	* Makefile (BATCH): Fix the path to the local lisp files.
-
diff --git a/UTILITIES/x11idle.c b/UTILITIES/x11idle.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..33d0035eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/UTILITIES/x11idle.c
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#include <X11/extensions/scrnsaver.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+/* Based on code from
+ * http://coderrr.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/getting-idle-time-in-unix/
+ *
+ * compile with 'gcc -l Xss x11idle.c -o x11idle' and copy x11idle into your
+ * path
+ */
+main() {
+    XScreenSaverInfo *info = XScreenSaverAllocInfo();
+    Display *display = XOpenDisplay(0);
+
+    //check that X11 is running or else you get a segafult/coredump
+    if (display != NULL) {
+	XScreenSaverQueryInfo(display, DefaultRootWindow(display), info);
+    }
+    XScreenSaverQueryInfo(display, DefaultRootWindow(display), info);
+    printf("%u\n", info->idle);
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/lisp/ChangeLog b/lisp/ChangeLog
index 0636763e8..32b569c30 100755
--- a/lisp/ChangeLog
+++ b/lisp/ChangeLog
@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@
 	modeline when habits are being displayed (if that module is being
 	loaded).
 
+2009-10-21  James TD Smith  <ahktenzero@mohorovi.cc>
+
+	* org-clock.el (org-x11-idle-seconds): Add a method to get the X11
+	idle time using the xscreensaver extension.
+	(org-user-idle-seconds): Use X11 idle time if available.
+
 2009-10-20  Carsten Dominik  <carsten.dominik@gmail.com>
 
 	* org-agenda.el (org-agenda-next-line): New command.
@@ -197,7 +203,7 @@
 	currently active clock if the user has exceeded the time returned
 	by `org-user-idle-seconds', based on the value of
 	`org-clock-idle-time'.
-	(org-clock-in): If, after resolving clocks, 
+	(org-clock-in): If, after resolving clocks,
 	(org-clock-out): Cancel the `org-clock-idle-timer' on clock out.
 
 	* org-clock.el (org-clock-resolve-clock): New function that
diff --git a/lisp/org-clock.el b/lisp/org-clock.el
index b6ca15c1a..7087dedcb 100644
--- a/lisp/org-clock.el
+++ b/lisp/org-clock.el
@@ -762,16 +762,22 @@ non-dangling (i.e., currently open and valid) clocks."
   "Return the current Mac idle time in seconds"
   (string-to-number (shell-command-to-string "ioreg -c IOHIDSystem | perl -ane 'if (/Idle/) {$idle=(pop @F)/1000000000; print $idle; last}'")))
 
+(defun org-x11-idle-seconds ()
+  "Return the current X11 idle time in seconds"
+  (/ (string-to-number (shell-command-to-string "x11idle")) 1000))
+
 (defun org-user-idle-seconds ()
   "Return the number of seconds the user has been idle for.
 This routine returns a floating point number."
-  (if (eq system-type 'darwin)
+  (if (or (eq system-type 'darwin) (eq window-system 'x))
       (let ((emacs-idle (org-emacs-idle-seconds)))
 	;; If Emacs has been idle for longer than the user's
 	;; `org-clock-idle-time' value, check whether the whole system has
 	;; really been idle for that long.
 	(if (> emacs-idle (* 60 org-clock-idle-time))
-	    (min emacs-idle (org-mac-idle-seconds))
+	    (min emacs-idle (if (eq system-type 'darwin)
+				(org-mac-idle-seconds)
+			      (org-x11-idle-seconds)))
 	  emacs-idle))
     (org-emacs-idle-seconds)))